


Office Whispers

by Ange_de_la_Mort



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Bets & Wagers, Canon Compliant, Looking At a Relationship From an Outside POV, M/M, Relationship Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:48:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28073460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ange_de_la_Mort/pseuds/Ange_de_la_Mort
Summary: Reno knows. Reno knows many things. Some of them turn out to be not true, turn out to be utter bullshit. But he knows for certain that the boss and Rufus Shinra are secretly dating. He knows this so certainly that he just can't shut up about it. ...much to Rude's dismay.
Relationships: Rufus Shinra/Tseng
Comments: 7
Kudos: 26
Collections: Midgar Blues: A Turks Zine - Fic Collection





	Office Whispers

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Turks Zine](https://twitter.com/TurksZine). I had a lot of fun with this and I'm so grateful I could be part of this incredible project. <3

Generally, Rude likes his job. Not just because it pays well (and it does), not just because it comes with a certain reputation (and it does), not just because being a Turk always opens the right doors when it matters (and it always matters) ... but mainly because he is damn good at it.

He is not a man of many words, which is why he always has to think about which questions he wants to ask in order to achieve the highest possible results with minimal effort. It takes brains to anticipate the possible answers of those he is talking to in order to be able to end a conversation or an interrogation in a timely manner.

He is not a man who takes pleasure in violence, which is why he always tries to only use force when necessary.

He wants to declare himself as not a bad person, simply as a man doing his job.

But sometimes ...

"You won't believe what they did today!"

Yes, sometimes he feels the need to wring the neck of certain other people if they don't shut up. With a soft sigh he straightens his sunglasses, happy to roll his eyes behind them without Reno seeing it (he always feels so personally offended, which he admittedly should be, at least sometimes) and leans a little further over the evening edition of Midgar News.

"Hey, no ignoring me!" And to make sure that Rude really has no chance of pretending that Reno isn't there, as if it was just the buzzing sound of the air conditioning trying to disturb his attention, Reno sits down in the middle of the desk at which Rude is reading the newspaper. ... or, to be more precise, he plants his butt in the middle of the page.

In spite of their friendship, Rude didn't really hope on getting a decent look at Reno's crotch, and also in spite of their friendship he would actually really like to push Reno off the desk. Instead, he just sighs and closes his eyes for a moment in order to maintain his composure before turning his eyes from Reno's crotch to his broad grinning face. ... a sight he sometimes doesn't like any better.

"Come on, ask me!"

"If I don't, will you piss off?"

"Nope!" is the cheerful answer, and, quite honestly, Rude hadn't expected anything else.

"Fine," he gives in, leaning back, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Who's been doing what?"

"You know who," says Reno, and winks at him in the unspeakable way that only Reno can; mischievous and arrogant at the same time. "And you know what."

"This again?"  _ This _ is Reno's unwavering belief that there's a romance, or at least a sexual escapade, between Tseng and the president. And  _ again _ because he hasn't talked about anything else for weeks. Because he spends all his time analyzing and commentating on every move and eye contact between the two of them -- and, as Rude brought his obsession up for the first time, laughing like a teenager at the  _ anal _ part of  _ analyzing _ . Not to Tseng's face, though. Of course not. No matter how much Reno may joke around, he already knows who he can and cannot afford to mess with.

And Reno doesn't want to piss the guy off who writes his monthly paycheck, and who can silently, and without anyone noticing, arrange to have his throat cut in his sleep.

So Rude is the poor guy who gets to listen to Reno's little delusions. All the time. Every day. Sometimes even several times a day. It hasn't just happened once that Rude's cell phone has rung and he has already feared the worst - Reno has been hurt again, or even killed this time, or his trusted designer has run out of sunglasses - and yet it's always just the latest alleged escapades of their boss.

"Again?" Reno asks now and laughs, throwing his head back. "Dude, they're  _ still _ at it! I swear, those two are fucking like rabbits when nobody's looking."

"Reno."

"Yeah?"

"I'll say this with as much respect as I can." He sighs and shakes his head very slowly. "I think you've gone fucking nuts."

"Oh, wow,  _ rude _ ."

"Yes, that's my name."

"No,  _ you're _ rude."

"Yes, Reno, that's true."

Reno rolls his eyes and slides off the desk. “... you really are a fucking jerk." But if Rude was hoping for Reno to let him continue to read his newspaper (he's in the middle of an interview with the owner of the Honey Bee Inn, who is talking about his dancing session with an unnamed soldier, whom Rude thinks he knows), then he was mistaken, because Reno leans on the table and, with one fluid movement, snatches the sunglasses off his nose. "Okay, jerk, let's make a bet."

"Reno ..." Oh, why does he suddenly feel so tired?

"If I'm right and the Prez is our boss's little boy to y... or the other way around, I'm not discriminating tops and bottoms here, I don't care which one likes it up the-"

"Reno!"

"Look, all I'm saying is that I want you to take a closer look at those two and tell me I'm wrong. Really. Tell me I'm wrong, prove it, and you win."

Rude taps on the paper with his fingertips. ... there's probably really no other way but to play along to convince Reno that he's just imagining things. "What do I win?  _ If _ I take your bet."

"Hmm." Reno thoughtfully rubs his chin. "Ten thousand Gil?" When Rude just looks at him without saying a word, Reno laughs softly. "Okay. Fine. One week of my paid vacation?"

"Damn, that's a good bet."

And with that, Rude has sealed his fate …

____  
  


However, it still takes several more days before Rude can put his distinct powers of observation, his talent for combination and his patience to the test. After the death of the president (the  _ old _ president, if Shinra jr. had died so shortly after taking office, the Turks would have had to doubt their competence and look for a new job), all three of them have plenty to do, so that they hardly run into each other.

Reno, of course, claims during the few moments when he and Rude sometimes share an elevator that their boss takes on a somewhat  _ more personal _ kind of work, and he never tires of wagging his eyebrows until the elevator doors open, but Rude learns very quickly and consistently to just tune it out.

In fact, though, without Reno's constant and ever intrusive reminders, he would have already forgotten about their stupid little bet.

But he can't help but watch Tseng, as soon as all three of them share an office again. So while Rude pretends to dwell on a report ('Cloud and friends sighted near Kalm, questioning of the inhabitants has resulted in hardly anything helpful.'), he keeps peeking out of the corner of his eye at him the whole time.

Is there a difference in the way he moves? The way he acts as soon as the president is the subject of a conversation? Does his voice change? Does he perhaps sound a tiny bit  _ fond _ or is he imagining it?

… fuck Reno for putting those stupid thoughts in his head.

Just when he thinks about getting up and going outside for a while because he obviously needs fresh air, Tseng's phone rings. Their boss looks up from the file he's bent over and frowns as if wondering who dares to disturb him at work. When he finally picks up the phone and answers, he even sounds a bit irritabled. But then he blinks and straightens his back. "Of course, sir!" he says hastily and Rude is not sure if his voice sounds warmer than it did a few seconds ago. "I will personally take care of this matter!"

Tseng hangs up and takes a deep breath before he rises from his seat and tells both of them that he has urgent things to discuss with the president.

He has barely left the office when Reno leans over to Rude, scooting closer to him, and even when Rude forces himself to look straight ahead, he can sense the grin on Reno's lips.

"Don't," Rude says.

"You heard him!"

"And you heard  _ me _ ."

"Personally." Reno chuckles. "Oh, I'm sure he's taking that matter  _ personally _ into his hands, and with 'this matter' I mean the Prez's dick."

Rude silently adjusts his sunglasses, resisting the temptation to drag a hand down his face. "Reno," he says slowly, "personally means he's doing things himself."

"Oh no,  _ personally _ means that it's something  _ personal _ and important to him and/or to both of them."

"If you make me open an online dictionary just to prove you're wrong, I will punch you in the face."

Reno laughs softly and pats him on the shoulder. "You're just scared I'm right. But you just wait, man," he continues, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze, "your vacation days are  _ mine _ !"

"You wish."

"I don't need to wish. I know. In fact, I know so well, I'm gonna up the bet."

Now Rude raises one eyebrow and turns his head in his direction. "Ah," he inquires, attempting to suppress the budding curiosity.

"Two weeks." To underline his words, Reno wiggles two fingers in front of Rude's nose.

That sounds tempting. Almost too tempting. Almost like a trap.

Rude crosses his arms in front of his chest and weighs the pros and cons. Two weeks he either works through without enjoying a well-deserved break (but during which he is paid for any overtime), or during which he spends time relaxing on the beach enjoying the warm, salty breeze of Costa del Sol. ... hm. "Fine," he eventually says.

And he immediately regrets it but what choice did he have? Refusal would be tantamount to defeat, because then he would have to admit that Reno  _ may be _ right after all. ... and that is impossible, right? Right?

____  
  


"The boss looks angry," Reno remarks as they both sit at the same table in the cafeteria for lunch. Rude takes a delightful bite of his sandwich, Reno stirs his spoon in silence in his third cup of coffee. "Wonder what happened. Trouble in paradise?"

For a few moments Rude chews in silence, then shrugs his shoulders. He has his suspicions, but he doesn't want to get involved in another discussion about their bet.

"You know something." Reno raises an eyebrow, his tone almost accusing. "You're hiding something."

"I'm not."

"You always are, that's in out job description. But now you're hiding something from  _ me _ . Wow, Rude!"

Rude sighs softly. "You're not gonna let me eat in peace, are you?"

When Reno just  _ looks _ at him, gaze piercing and strained, Rude sighs a second time. "He got into an argument with Heidegger regarding the President's safety in Junon and during the journey. He lost," he adds as a postscript.

"Huh. Who'd have thought?" Reno scratches his cheek. "So Tseng's not accompanying the Prez on that job? No wonder he's pissed. I'd be pissed, too, if someone was stealing my alone time with my sugar daddy."

"TMI, Reno."

"Oh, now you're just jealous. Don't worry, man, you're my only sugar daddy and the only payment I want are vacation days."

While Reno is still laughing at his own joke, Rude slowly gets up to get a second sandwich. ... and maybe to stick his head in the canteen’s microwave so that this could  _ finally _ be over.

____

  
"This shit  _ sucks _ !" To express his annoyance, Reno not only swears extensively, but furiously kicks a single pebble aside (Rude agrees with him, but firstly does not want to ruin his shoes and secondly asks himself what the poor pebble is to blame for). "Why the  _ fuck _ are we even here?"

"Because Scarlet assumes Cloud and his friends will come here for the old reactor, too, and was worried she-"

"Oh, shut up, man. I  _ know _ why we're here." He stomps his foot on the ground like that one humanoid monster from the fairy tale with the kidnapped children. "But she swoops in via heli anyway! She'll fly in, shake her ass for a sec, and then - exit stage left. There's no way they'd meet if, and that's a big if, Cloud and Company had gone gaga enough to stop in this wasteland."

Rude shrugs.

Reno pouts for another good ten seconds, then grants Rude one of those smiles that mean trouble. "Hey, while we're talking about Cloud and his little band of misfits..."

_ Oh no. _

"Who do you like?"

"What?"

"Come on, you heard me!"

Of course he did, but that doesn't mean that he wants to answer him. They both know that Reno likes to use these interpersonal things as ammunition and keeps them in mind for bad times. But the two of them also know that Reno won't let it go until Rude gives in. So maybe better sooner than later, right? “... Tifa," Rude says eventually.

Reno blinks and tilts his head. "Really? Oh. Oh, wow."

"Oh wow, what?" Rude tenses up.

"Oh. Nothing. I just thought." Reno rubs his neck, seeming almost embarrassed. “... poor Elena."

_ Now what does Elena have to do with... oh. _ "No," Rude says quickly. "She's into Tseng."

"Really? Well, my point still stands. Poor Elena. She needs to get in line, Tseng's a busy man. First the Prez, then the Ancient."

"Are we really doing this again?"

All he gets in response is a smile.

So Rude takes a deep breath and crosses his arms in front of his chest. "Your turn."

"Who? Me?" Reno blinks and clears his throat, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "I mean... well..."

"The Turks!" they hear right then and both turn towards the voice, only to see Cloud and the others running towards them, already pulling out their weapons.

"Ah," Reno says with a sigh and rolls his eyes. "So much for gone gaga, I guess."

____

  
Rude has never been particularly fond of hospitals. Fortunately, he himself has never had to spend too much time in them - even though he has often been injured during a job. Who hasn't?

However, Rude always managed to take care of himself, learned to sew up cuts, put on bandages and learned the merits of everyday household items in dicey situations (staplers and he became good friends). That's not the point here ...

No, what Rude finds annoying about hospitals is the desolation one experiences as an outsider: the constant beeping of machines, quiet tears here and hectic work there; a buzzing like in a beehive without the actual personal cohesion of a bee colony ... and without any honey.

Maybe, but really just maybe, a part of his aversion to hospitals is due to what other people might call a 'conscience', and which they would all be surprised that a Turk, of all people, has one. Rude does not like to cause other people trouble. That's it. Of course, this has nothing to do with the people he professionally sends to intensive care. He has no sympathy for them. They are part of his job. But the nursing staff with the long shifts, tired eyes and exhausted smiles, he feels sorry for them.

... and somehow it always feels as if they're staring at him, as if the nurses and the doctors know exactly who left them all the extra work.

That's why he's glad that Tseng's room is sealed off from any non-Shinra personnel. He leans back in his chair and looks at their boss, who is pale and exhausted, sitting in a halfway upright position on one of the beds, the bandage around his chest and shoulders and neck visible in those places not hidden by the ugly hospital nightgown.

"How did you find me?" Tseng asks quietly, generally moving as little as possible so as not to strain the fresh stitches.

"Reeve called," Reno answers, standing at the window, his arms deliberately casually crossed behind his head, as if it was quite normal that they picked up their boss bleeding and half dead on the dirty floor of an Ancient Temple. As if he hadn't been worried at all.

"Reeve," Tseng repeats thoughtfully. "I heard he betrayed us."

"Yes." Rude looks at Reno and shrugs his shoulders. "We assume he has joined Cloud's party for real this time. But apparently he still had enough decency to inform us about your whereabouts and the critical condition you were in."

Tseng remains silent for a long time and then sighs deeply. "This Sephiroth is an even bigger threat than any of us had thought. We had been too preoccupied with Cloud. Not concentrating our full attention on Sephiroth was ... a mistake.

"We all make mistakes," Reno says and leans out of the window. "I wonder if Elena ever stops crying. She must be at her third pack of tissues by now."

That makes Tseng sigh again. "I'll have to apologize to her."

"Mhh. And while you're at that: The Big Boss just arrived and he looks  _ pissed _ . I think he's asking Elena for your room number right now."

Less than five minutes later Rufus Shinra himself opens the door, eyes hard and mouth a thin line. He fills the door frame, surveilling the room with a glance, before he points over his shoulder with his thumb. "Out," is all he says.

"Sir ... " Tseng begins quietly, but one look from the president is enough to silence him.

Rude and Reno get the hint. Rude gets up from his chair and straightens his tie while Reno smiles weakly. "You're  _ so _ in for a spanking, boss," he says, and addresses the president: "Please let him live, sir. We wouldn't know what to do without him."

To Rude's surprise, the president's features soften a little. "Don't worry. He'll live through the spanking. I wouldn't kill your boss after all the trouble you two went through to save him."

Reno shows him a thumbs-up in response, and then squeezes past him to leave the room, with Rude following quickly.

As he turns to close the door behind them, Rude can see Rufus Shinra sitting down on the bed next to the boss, reaching for his hand ... and almost lovingly kissing his knuckles.

"Huh," Rude says quietly after the door has fallen shut, because his brain has yet to process this. "I guess," he continues, looking at Reno, "I really lost that bet."

"Told you so." Reno grins, but then puts his hands in the pockets of his pants. "Let's be real thought, I don't think there's gonna be any vacation time for either of us until that Sephiroth thing is under control." He remains silent for a moment and then slowly shakes his head. "Well, whatever. Let's give those two some privacy, right? Wanna go outside for a smoke?"

"Sounds good to me."

On the way out, Rude stops at the front door and blinks as the last gears in his head have processed what he just saw. He glances at Reno and then looks through the glass door towards the outdoors, where their third colleague is still crying her eyes out. "Well, fuck. Poor Elena indeed."

Reno nods in agreement. "I think we should keep this one a secret from her. No need to make things worse."

It feels wrong, and somehow he feels sorry for her, but he knows that Reno is right about this. "Keeping secrets is what we do best, after all."

"Right. That's why we're the Turks."

It really is good that Rude is a man of such few words. Because sometimes, keeping quiet is easier than lying ...


End file.
